Title: Gabriel’s Redemption (Book #3 in the Gabriel Trilogy)
Author: Sylvain Reynard
Genre: Religious/Spiritual Inspirational Romance
Publication Date: December 3, 2013
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Synopsis
From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Gabriel’s Rapture and Gabriel’s Inferno comes the epic conclusion to the captivating romantic trilogy.
Professor Gabriel Emerson has left his position at the University of Toronto to embark on a new life with his beloved Julianne. Together, he’s confident that they can face any challenge. And he’s eager to become a father.
But Julianne’s graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans, as the pressures of being a student become all consuming. When she is given the honor of presenting an academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel is forced to confront her about the subject of her presentation – research that conflicts with his own. And in Oxford, several individuals from their past appear, including an old nemesis intent on humiliating Julia and exposing one of Gabriel’s darkest secrets.
In an effort to confront his remaining demons, Gabriel begins a quest to discover more about his biological parents, beginning a chain of events that has startling repercussions for himself, Julianne, and his hope of having a family.
~Karen’s Review~
How to categorize a book can be extremely hard. I find myself at a loss on how to categorize Gabriel’s Redemption by Sylvain Reynard. In Romance Times Magazine they reviewed it as erotica. On Amazon it is listed as erotica. Other online retailers have it listed as romance. I am going to buck the system and review this book as Religion and Spirituality/Inspirational Romance. Now that you are forewarned you can choose to continue reading my review or click off.
Gabriel’s Redemption by Sylvain Reynard is a moralist tale about love, forgiveness and hope. I know not very erotic topics are they. (Note to reader, yes the book has plenty of sexy times, as most humans do have sex. Even spiritual humans, whom love each other deeply) Reynard uses his characters Julia and Gabriel to extoll those virtues. Julia and Gabriel, try their best to live a lives that St. Francis of Assisi would be proud of. (If this was a footrace Julia would be in the lead, but would stop and wait for Gabriel to catch up.) Like all the previous Gabriel novels by Sylvain Reynard, Gabriel’s Redemption is a multilayered illustration of the different phases of love and of the souls journey throughout life. Each character is at a different point in their lives, and because of that the dynamic between them is prismatic, as they reflect on each other’s inner light and at some points their own light can be swallowed by others, or even corrupted by them. Just as there are a myriad of interpretations of Dante’s Inferno, so too will there be various interpretations of this novel. On the surface Reynard’s novel is a continuation of a complex love story between Gabriel and Julia, a love story that started with a kiss in an apple orchard when she was 17 and he 27. Gabriel has always been a force to be reckoned with, and anyone going up against or even loving the Professor better have a strong personality; or he could wreck their very soul. Julia is growing in strength with ever breath she takes, but that doesn’t change her pacifist nature. She takes turning ‘the other cheek’ to heart, and lives what she believes. I call how Julia lives the ‘Thumper Rule’, yes cue Disney character. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all”. Some readers may see Julia as weak, I for one see her as stronger than any other character in the novels; because living by her convictions and desires is extremely hard. Julia’s love is pure and all encompassing. She loves with a passion that could consume her. Having a pure loving soul and a living by the ‘Thumper Rule’; with anyone else, besides Reynard, at the writing helm, might have made Julia a caricature of the perfect idealized person. Reynard paints Julia with a brush that is so real and multi colored that she is amongst my favorite literary characters. During this book, I was taken aback by what some may see a Julia’s selfishness. I too thought at first Julia was selfish in those instance. Julia being married to the force of nature that is Gabriel, I came to see that Julia, may not have made the choices I would have, but she was trying not to be swallowed by Gabriel’s wants and needs. Julia, I believe is concerned about being overshadowed by Gabriel’s larger than life persona. She doesn’t know how to communicate this to Gabriel. I want to give a little advice from a forty eight year old woman to a fictional character. Life is what happens when you are busy planning it. You learn to pick yourself up by your bootstraps, get over yourself and live your life. Julia will have a harder time with this because of her past, but I have all the confidence in the world for my previous ‘hobbit-hole’ dwelling fictional friend will succeed.
The perception that Julia is being selfish arises out of the conflict between the two characters of their want of a child. Gabriel is extremely ready to have a child and Julia wants to wait until she is done with her Ph.D program. A child I would like to point out she did pray for, in her prayer she did not specify a timetable. In conversations about babies, Gabriel and Julia don’t communicate well with each other. I want to play devils advocate and put in the assumption that Gabriel’s need for a child with Julia, is a way to keep her. Does Gabriel trust in their love, or is still the little boy hording food in his room, the one that would not unpack his suitcase until his adoption was official? Gabriel can be a shellfish person, just like we all can be, but I don’t believe his want of a child with Julia is a power play to ensnare her further into his web. I think that Gabriel has a deep need for a complete family. Yes, he was adopted into a wonderful family, where he was loved, but honestly he didn’t really fit, or so he has believed all his life. He was the black sheep, a role that he previously embraced. The family was too good for him, and it was best to distance himself from them. If he has a child with Julia, it is for him to finally fit and to build on the life he wants, and yes even a self-proclaimed ‘arrogant ass’ deserves a wonderful life. Gabriel believes that Julia is too good for him and he doesn’t deserve the grace that he has received.
Most of the characters in the previous books make an appearance in Gabriel’s Redemption. I have adored Katherine Picton, since her first appearance in the Gabriel Trilogy. In fact, I have decided when I grow up, I want to be Katherine Picton, and shh at forty-eight I don’t have far to go. But I digress; I have not encountered a more formidable female character in a recent memory. She is one heck of a lady, who is fierce and confident. She is who I hope Julia grows into, as we all should be a self confident and insightful as Professor Picton. When Professor Picton enters a scene you know, she will captivate it, her magnetism on the page is prevailing, and it isn’t because of the character’s ego, it is because Professor Picton is a power unto herself. Of all of Reynard’s characters I would truly love to chat and maybe toss back a few with the dear Professor (Not the one that everyone is swooning over either.) I want to point out that when Picton first enters Gabriel’s Redemption is with the fire of a dragon and it made me site up and cheer.
Gabriel’s rival for Julia’s affections also makes an appearance. Paul Norris, he may not be the swoon worthy sexy Professor, but he is a guy worth bringing home to mom. How could you not want and fall in love with Paul. Okay everyone except for Julia, should fall for Paul. Paul again is a mirror to Gabriel’s fears that he doesn’t deserve Julia.
The villains are also brought back from the previous novels. I wonder what circle of hell these characters inhabit. I have worried the most about Christa. Yes, I worried about the hateful bitch on wheels Christa. Every novel needs a villain and in the Gabriel series Christa made Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty look warm and cuddly. Christa is in rare form at the start of Gabriel’s Redemption, but in one moment something shifts. I have always hoped as a reader I would learn what made Christa the bitch on wheels. What made her hate people to distraction and envy those around her? I see Christa as the opposite of Julia, kinda like a Bizzaro Julia. I was disappointed that, I will never know why Christa did what she did. Some may say that she made he bed and she should lie in it. Honestly I don’t think anyone’s transgressions should have been so severally punished. The hand she played in the books, seems to be without redemption, which is a shame.
Simon and Natalie both make an appearance, that for all that it was worth could have been cut from the book. I really didn’t care what happened to these two characters. Despite Julia’s wishes her Uncle Jack played the god/devil role in meriting out vengeance. The use of revenge in this novel seemed to take away from the main plot of love, forgiveness and hope. No in my humble opinion Jack didn’t have the write to play with even these peoples lives. They were out of Julia’s life for all extent and purposes, so what was the point of the revenge? Julia did not want it.
The Gabriel Trilogy is set to the backdrop of two characters that are both Dante specialist, and live in an academic world. I have often wondered how those who are not familiar with Dante, will receive the books. Furthermore, do those who read these book, want to learn more about Dante and his writings? To learn about the impact his Divine Comedies had on the lives of those who read it, when it was first published. I believe that having read Dante, as both a youth and as an adult, and studied him a little, gives all the Gabriel books more depth, versus not having read the poet. Also having admired and studied St. Francis of Assisi does help to understand Julia, Gabriel and those in their universe. Dante is not an easy read, but for those that are willing I recommend not only Dante, but also Lewis, Greene, Tolkien, and St. Francis of Assisi which will give you more insight into Reynard’s characters.
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~ About Sylvain Reynard ~
I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.
I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.
I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House.
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